On Thursday, April 18, Southwest Opioid Response District (SWORD) Project Coordinator Claire West spoke to the Pagosa Springs Town Council, announcing the launch of the SWORD grant application for 2024.
“I’m here today to announce the launch of the SWORD grants. The aim of these grants is to disperse opioid settlement funds throughout our region so they might expand and enrich locally identified recovery support needs,” West stated.
The SWORD region includes Montezuma, La Plata, San Juan, Archuleta and Dolores counties. The regional council was formed in 2021 following settlement agreements between the Colorado Attorney General’s Office and various opioid manufacturers and distributors. The council consists of advisory members and voting members from city and county governments in the region, West explained.
She indicated that there is a total of $465,286 available for grants, “which the SWORD aims to equitably distribute across the region.”
West explained that in order to be eligible for these grants, organizations must benefit people in treatment and recovery for opioid-use disorder, or promote substance misuse abatement methods.
She noted that the proposed projects must serve the SWORD region, and it is preferred that the project applicant is also located in the SWORD region.
Grant applications will open on June 1 and close on July 1.
“Successful applicants will be required to sign a grant agreement both with SWORD council’s fiscal agent, which is La Plata County, as well as Region 9 Economic Development District as the facilitator,” she said.
West mentioned that there will be two virtual information meetings in regard to the application process that will be held on May 21 and June 25.
She also noted there will be various other in-person information sessions, with one in Pagosa Springs on June 3 at the Ross Aragon Community Center at 5:30 p.m.
During the meeting, council member Matt DeGuise asked if the SWORD council is still planning on pulling funds from across the region to build a regional recovery center.
“We are still going to build a recovery center for the region,” West said.
She explained that the SWORD council has allocated about 63 percent of its first two years of funding to go toward that project.
“It’s just a long process, so we wanted to get a little bit of money into the community right away,” West added.
She explained that the SWORD council wants to “fortify the recovery support within the region” before having a recovery center built where people can go to begin their recovery process.
West went on to explain that the purpose of the information sessions is to advertise the grants and walk-through the application process.
She also mentioned the target audience for the grants is “anyone who works with people who are struggling with opioid misuse,” such as advocacy and recovery groups, health departments, first responders and other nonprofit groups.
For more information about the SWORD grants or the information sessions, email west.claire@outlook.com.
